We have just purchased an ISCSI SAN and VI3 Enterprise but before building our new environment, I want to be able to attach an ISCSI (VMFS)volume to our existing virtual environent (ESX STD-no virtual center). How can I go about doing that. I am so far behind with ESX as my training and experience was with version 2.5 three years ago....
Thanks in advanced.,
This shouldn't be a problem as esx standard supports iSCSI. What you'll need is to have a vmkernel port on a vSwitch that you will use for iSCSI. When using sw ISCSI, you'll also need to make sure to open the swISCSICLient port on the esx firewall. Then, enable the sw iscsi initiator under the storage adapters tab and enter the information for your iSCSI san in the discovery tab. From there, you will also see the esx hba IQN, which you will have to allow on the SAN side. Once this is up and good, you should only have to rescan your hba's, and you should see the LUNs from your SAN.
-KjB
This shouldn't be a problem as esx standard supports iSCSI. What you'll need is to have a vmkernel port on a vSwitch that you will use for iSCSI. When using sw ISCSI, you'll also need to make sure to open the swISCSICLient port on the esx firewall. Then, enable the sw iscsi initiator under the storage adapters tab and enter the information for your iSCSI san in the discovery tab. From there, you will also see the esx hba IQN, which you will have to allow on the SAN side. Once this is up and good, you should only have to rescan your hba's, and you should see the LUNs from your SAN.
-KjB
also if you are going to use the sw iscsi intiator you will need to make sure the service console port can get to the iscsi target
thank you.
is it ok to do all this while VM are running on the host? do I have to configure maintenance mode?
Thanks
This can be done while the vms are running -
If you turn OFF iSCSI support and then back on...then you must restart the ESX host. Otherwise no downtime is required at all...just setup the initiator and then do a scan for new storage devices and that would do it.
thanks